Multi-benefactor item payment system

Abstract

A computer system includes one or more network interfaces configured to, for each of a plurality of benefactors, send to an electronic device of the benefactor information specifying an item desired by a beneficiary, wherein the item is offered for sale by a merchant at a price. The interfaces are also configured to, for each of the plurality of benefactors, receive from the benefactor electronic device information specifying a portion of the item price the benefactor agrees to pay. The computer system also includes a central processing unit (CPU) configured to determine that a sum of the portions of the item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the item price and in response pay the merchant for the item.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A computer system, comprising:
 one or more network interfaces, configured to:
 for each of a plurality of benefactors, send to an electronic device of the benefactor information specifying an item desired by a beneficiary, wherein the item is offered for sale by a merchant at a price; and 
 for each of the plurality of benefactors, receive from the benefactor electronic device information specifying a portion of the item price the benefactor agrees to pay; and 
   a central processing unit (CPU), configured to determine that a sum of the portions of the item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the item price and in response pay the merchant for the item.   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein to pay the merchant for the item, for each of the plurality of benefactors, the computer system effects an electronic transfer of funds of the portion agreed to by the benefactor from a financial account of the benefactor to a financial account of the merchant. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the computer system is operated by a third party;   wherein the beneficiary, the benefactors, the merchant and the third party are all distinct entities.   
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 3 , wherein the computer system is further configured, for each of the plurality of benefactors, to effect an electronic transfer of funds of the portion agreed to by the benefactor from a financial account of the benefactor to a financial account of the third party, wherein to pay the merchant for the item the computer system pays the merchant for the item from the third party financial account. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:
 receive contact information of each of the plurality of benefactors from an electronic device of the beneficiary; and   wherein to send the information specifying the desired item, the one or more network interfaces sends the information using the contact information.   
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein to send the information specifying the item, the computer system sends to the benefactor electronic device for display thereon a wish list of items desired by the beneficiary, wherein the wish list includes the information specifying the item offered for sale by the merchant. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:
 receive the wish list from a computer system of the merchant, prior to sending the wish list, wherein the wish list is previously created by the beneficiary on the merchant computer system.   
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to receive a catalog of items offered for sale by the merchant from a computer system of the merchant, wherein the catalog includes the information specifying the item offered for sale by the merchant;   wherein the CPU is further configured to create the wish list from the catalog based on input received from an electronic device of the beneficiary.   
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to receive a plurality of wish lists from a plurality of computer systems of a plurality of merchants that includes the merchant, wherein the plurality of wish lists are previously created by the beneficiary on the plurality of merchant computer systems;   wherein the CPU is further configured to create the wish list from the plurality of wish lists received from the computer systems of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to receive a plurality of catalogs of items offered for sale by a plurality of merchants that includes the merchant from a plurality of computer systems of the plurality of merchants, wherein at least one of the catalogs includes the information specifying the item offered for sale by the merchant;   wherein the CPU is further configured to create the wish list from the plurality of catalogs based on input received from an electronic device of the beneficiary.   
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:
 for each of the plurality of benefactors, send to the electronic device of the benefactor information specifying a second item desired by the beneficiary, wherein the second item is offered for sale by a second merchant at a second price; and 
 for each of the plurality of benefactors, receive from the benefactor electronic device information specifying a portion of the second item price the benefactor agrees to pay; 
   wherein the CPU is further configured to:
 determine, in response to receiving the information specifying a portion of the second item price the benefactor agrees to pay, that a sum of the portions of the second item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the second item price; and 
 pay the merchant for the second item, in response to determining that the sum of the portions of the second item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the second item price; 
   wherein the second merchant is distinct from the first merchant.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the one or more network interfaces are further configured to:
 receive bill information about bills of the beneficiary/bill owner; and 
 receive payment instrument information of each of the plurality of benefactors/bill helpers; and 
   wherein the CPU is further configured to pay the bills with funds of the benefactors/bill helpers using the payment instrument information.   
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 for each of a plurality of benefactors, sending to an electronic device of the benefactor, by a computer system, information specifying an item desired by a beneficiary, wherein the item is offered for sale by a merchant at a price;   for each of the plurality of benefactors, receiving from the benefactor electronic device, by the computer system, information specifying a portion of the item price the benefactor agrees to pay;   determining, by the computer system, in response to said receiving, that a sum of the portions of the item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the item price; and   paying the merchant for the item, by the computer system, in response to said determining.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said paying the merchant for the item comprises:
 for each of the plurality of benefactors, effecting, by the computer system, in response to said receiving, an electronic transfer of funds of the portion agreed to by the benefactor from a financial account of the benefactor to a financial account of the merchant.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the computer system is operated by a third party;   wherein the beneficiary, the benefactors, the merchant and the third party are all distinct entities.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 for each of the plurality of benefactors, effecting, by the computer system, in response to said receiving, an electronic transfer of funds of the portion agreed to by the benefactor from a financial account of the benefactor to a financial account of the third party; and   wherein said paying the merchant for the item comprises paying the merchant for the item, by the computer system, from the third party financial account.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving contact information of each of the plurality of benefactors, by the computer system, from an electronic device of the beneficiary; and   wherein said sending comprises sending the information specifying the desired item using the contact information.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said sending the information specifying the item comprises sending, by the computer system, to the benefactor electronic device for display thereon a wish list of items desired by the beneficiary, wherein the wish list includes the information specifying the item offered for sale by the merchant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving the wish list, by the computer system, from a computer system of the merchant, prior to said sending the wish list, wherein the wish list is previously created by the beneficiary on the merchant computer system.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a catalog of items offered for sale by the merchant, by the computer system, from a computer system of the merchant, wherein the catalog includes the information specifying the item offered for sale by the merchant;   creating the wish list, by the computer system, from the catalog based on input received from an electronic device of the beneficiary.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of wish lists, by the computer system, from a plurality of computer systems of a plurality of merchants that includes the merchant, wherein the plurality of wish lists are previously created by the beneficiary on the plurality of merchant computer systems; and   creating the wish list, by the computer system, from the plurality of wish lists received from the computer systems of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of catalogs of items offered for sale by a plurality of merchants that includes the merchant, by the computer system, from a plurality of computer systems of the plurality of merchants, wherein at least one of the catalogs includes the information specifying the item offered for sale by the merchant; and   creating the wish list, by the computer system, from the plurality of catalogs based on input received from an electronic device of the beneficiary.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 for each of the plurality of benefactors, sending to the electronic device of the benefactor, by the computer system, information specifying a second item desired by the beneficiary, wherein the second item is offered for sale by a second merchant at a second price;   for each of the plurality of benefactors, receiving, by the computer system, from the benefactor electronic device information specifying a portion of the second item price the benefactor agrees to pay;   determining, by the computer system, in response to said receiving the information specifying a portion of the second item price the benefactor agrees to pay, that a sum of the portions of the second item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the second item price; and   paying the merchant for the second item, by the computer system, in response to said determining that the sum of the portions of the second item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the second item price;   wherein the second merchant is distinct from the first merchant.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computer system, bill information about bills of the beneficiary/bill owner;   receiving, by the computer system, payment instrument information of each of the plurality of benefactors/bill helpers; and   paying the bills, by the computer system, with funds of the benefactors/bill helpers using the payment instrument information.   
     
     
         25 . A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to implement:
 for each of a plurality of benefactors, sending to an electronic device of the benefactor, by a computer system, information specifying an item desired by a beneficiary, wherein the item is offered for sale by a merchant at a price;   for each of the plurality of benefactors, receiving from the benefactor electronic device, by the computer system, information specifying a portion of the item price the benefactor agrees to pay;   determining, by the computer system, in response to said receiving, that a sum of the portions of item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the item price; and   paying the merchant for the item, by the computer system, in response to said determining.   
     
     
         26 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one computer;   software that executes on the computer configured to, for each of a plurality of benefactors, send to an electronic device of the benefactor information specifying an item desired by a beneficiary, wherein the item is offered for sale by a merchant at a price;   software that executes on the computer configured to, for each of the plurality of benefactors, receive from the benefactor electronic device information specifying a portion of the item price the benefactor agrees to pay;   software that executes on the computer configured to determine that a sum of the portions of the item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the item price; and   software that executes on the computer configured to pay the merchant for the item when the sum of the portions of the item price the plurality of benefactors agreed to pay has reached the item price.   
     
     
         27 . A method, comprising:
 for each of a plurality of benefactors, sending to an electronic device of the benefactor, by a computer system, information specifying an item desired by a beneficiary, wherein the item is offered for sale by a merchant at a price;   for each of the plurality of benefactors, receiving, by the computer system, from the benefactor electronic device information specifying a portion of the item price the benefactor agrees to pay; and   for each of the plurality of benefactors, effecting, by the computer system, in response to said receiving, an electronic transfer of funds of the portion agreed to by the benefactor from a financial account of the benefactor to a financial account of the merchant.   
     
     
         28 . A method, comprising:
 receiving contact information of a benefactor, by a computer system, from an electronic device of a beneficiary;   sending an electronic communication, by the computer system, based on the contact information to an electronic device of the benefactor indicating the beneficiary's desire for an item offered for sale by a merchant;   receiving from the benefactor electronic device, by the computer system, payment instrument information; and   paying the merchant for the item, by the computer system, using the payment instrument information;   wherein the computer system is operated by a third party;   wherein the beneficiary, the benefactor, the merchant and the third party are all distinct entities.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said paying the merchant for the item comprises:
 causing, by the computer system, an electronic transfer of funds of the benefactor directly to a financial account of the merchant using the payment instrument information.